LMO and short term foriegn cosultancy

[ignition22]

Hi There

Im a highly skilled IT contractor/consultant in my home country of New Zealand. A company in Toronto would like to hire me for a project which will run for a number of years. They ideally want me to start at the begining of the project in approx 4 weeks time although without having started any of the visa process yet thats probably going to be a little unrealistic so ultimiately just the sooner I can start work there the better.

I have been finding the immigration websites a little difficult to get the information that i need. Please can someone confirm that i need the company to send me an LMO and then because New Zealand isnt in the list of contries that need visas, that I then can turn up at the canadian border with the LMO and they will give me a work permit? Or i need to apply for that from my country of origin after i have recieved the LMO?

Also, i presume that i cant work there immediately by charging a daily consultancy fee from my NZ company to the Toronto company? Therefore not effectively being a canadian worker (only until the LMO comes through and i get a work permit and become an employee) but instead simply being in canada "on business". Large multi national companies must surely do this all the time when they send people international for short periods of time??

Not trying to do anything dodgy here, just thinking of any possible legitamite temporary alternatives.

Thanks for reading, any help greatly appeciated, cheers

 

[PMM]

Hi

Hi There

Im a highly skilled IT contractor/consultant in my home country of New Zealand. A company in Toronto would like to hire me for a project which will run for a number of years. They ideally want me to start at the begining of the project in approx 4 weeks time although without having started any of the visa process yet thats probably going to be a little unrealistic so ultimiately just the sooner I can start work there the better.

I have been finding the immigration websites a little difficult to get the information that i need. Please can someone confirm that i need the company to send me an LMO and then because New Zealand isnt in the list of contries that need visas, that I then can turn up at the canadian border with the LMO and they will give me a work permit? Or i need to apply for that from my country of origin after i have recieved the LMO?

Also, i presume that i cant work there immediately by charging a daily consultancy fee from my NZ company to the Toronto company? Therefore not effectively being a canadian worker (only until the LMO comes through and i get a work permit and become an employee) but instead simply being in canada "on business". Large multi national companies must surely do this all the time when they send people international for short periods of time??

Not trying to do anything dodgy here, just thinking of any possible legitamite temporary alternatives.

Thanks for reading, any help greatly appeciated, cheers

1. You need an approved LMO before you can start work. You are correct as visa exempt person, you can obtain your work permit as you enter Canada with the approved LMO.
2. No, by being paid by a Canadian company, it would be considered work. Companies can transfer employees, but they require work permits and depending on their level in the company, it can either be by way of an intra company transfer or LMO. (there are exceptions, with GATS and NAFTA jobs)